WASP\LA Guns\Stephen Pearcy in Omaha, NE

Now I've made it to the West side of the state for a show. Sunday on the East side. Wednesday on the West side. The things I do for rock n roll. This time is was only a $20 show at the Anchor Inn in Omaha, but it was worth that hard earned $20.

I know there was a local band called S.I.N. and a cover band called 3-D there, but I really didn't pay much attention as S.I.N. did the last chorus of their last song as we arrived and 3-D had the whole spandex thing going on with some choreography and a drummer that sings. From what little I did hear as I was having the Catfish Basket inside the restaurant, they did some Judas Priest ok, but needed a frontman to complete their show.

While I was eating, a guy named Dave came by and introduced himself and asked if I was at the Vixen show. He'd taken some pictures there and one had me in it. I got his e-mail address and hope to get permission to post a picture from him soon. We visited later that evening and he told me he had been getting a bunch of WASP stuff signed and that he was on their street team back in the early 80's. That has to be awesome! I may see him again at the Rock Never Stops show in Clear Lake, too. It's always fun meeting people at these concerts. The stories we all share are fun to hear.

Stephen came out to a small group that warmed up to the stage when he arrived. He was in good shape, sounded decent, and had the great Ratt songs. His band was tight and the overall sound was very good. He did a good job with the following set list:

Overdrive
Wanted Man
I'm Insane
You Think You're Tough
Back For More
Slip Of The Lip
Lack Of Communication
Lay It Down
You're In Love
Body Talk
Round And Round

LA Guns have never disappointed me. I love that sleazy glam sound they have. Stacy Blades is an awesome guitar player and he fits this band perfectly. LA Guns performed two new tunes. One was Hollywood and the other called Vampire. Both sounded great and I can't wait for the new release in a week or so. I will be picking it up. Phil still had his voice, but was obviously tipsy as usual, which really gives him a good loose performance. Adam and Steve were in the pocket and they put themselves through about 10 tunes with ease.

WASP was the headliner, which sort of surprised me since I thought LA Guns was the more popular band, but they certainly put on a decent show. Blackie had his infamous mic stand and I was actually pleased to see it. I know it has caused problems for some shows, but he uses it effectively and puts on a decent show climbing that thing. They played the hits like The Idol, F Like A Beast, Wild Child, and closed with Blind In Texas as the encore. The band was tight, sounded good, and looked like they were putting on a show to a huge crowd.

This was definitely worth the $20 and since I'd never seen Stephen solo or WASP, I'm glad I did. I did get to hang out afterwards and visit wtih LA Guns. They all autographed a flyer for me. I visited with Stacy the most and asked him about his input on the new CD. He said they all brought ideas to the table and they spent 9 months in preproduction on it since they had to make a great follow up to Waking The Dead. With that much time spent, I can't wait to here what they came up with!

Hey, if you get to see this show for $20, go do it. It's worth it!